Reciprocating rod packing



March 1954 G. R. TREMOLADA RECIPROCATING ROD PACKING Filed Feb. 3 1951 INVENTOR. awz a m/0 e. rem/00m Patented Mar. 23, 1954 2,673,103 RECIPROCATING ROD PACKING Guglielmo R. Tremolada, Los Angeles, Calif., as-

signor to Emsco Manuf acturing Company, a

corporation of California Application February 3, 1951, Serial No. 209,305

My invention relates to packing devices and relates in particular to a packing device which will make an effective seal around a rod without excessive frictional restraint to movement of the rod.

It is an object of the invention to provide a packing unit consisting of a number of rings secured together so that the assembly of rings may be moved bodily into a packing chamber. In this packing unit I provide means for lubrication and provide an arrangement whereby an improved type of packing ring may be used throughout the assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packing unit or cartridge having at the rear end thereof a lubricator ring through which lubricant is introduced into an annular space within the packing unit adjacent a portion of the shaft surface, the lubricator ring having means for supporting a packing ring of the same type as that employed for packing off around the surface of the shaft or rod against relatively high pressure.

The present object of the invention is to provide a packing device having rings arranged so as to trap lubricant in an annular space near the front end of the packing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packing device having a shell of generally cylindrical form, this shell having a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section of slightly larger diameter than the first cylindrical section, thereby providing in the shell a stepped cavity arranged to receive a packing unit having an enlargement at its rear end, this enlargement comprising a lubricator ring which supports a packing ring so as to define an annular space around the surface of the rod or shaft being packed off, which space is arranged to receive lubricant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packim unit formed of packing rings each of which has an annular body with a conically projecting sealing lip, the packing ring at the front end of the packing unit being reversed so as to define adjacent the next packing ring of the unit a chamber in which lubricant will be trapped. In this arrangement a better lubrication of the packing is obtained and excessive wear of the packing and of the shaft as a result of poor lubri cation is avoided.

urther objects and advantages of the invention may be. brought outin the following partof the specification wherein ,the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is for the purpose of disclosure and is not intended to Claims. (Cl. 28627) limit the scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims or limit the range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purpmes only: I

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view showing a packing device according to my inventiony Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the packing-unit or cartridge forming a part of the invention;

Fig. i is an enlarged View of the cross-section of a packing ring used in the invention.

The packing device It shown in Fig. .l is for the purpose of preventing leakage of fluid along the surface of a rod I I which projects through an opening I2 in a wall I3. Herein the term rod is intended to include any rod or shaft which extends from a zone of lower pressure toa zone of higher pressure and has rotary and/or axial movement. r

The packing device It includes a shell It having a first cylindrical section 15 and a second cylindrical section IS, the internal diameter of the second section It being greater than the internal diameter of the first section I5 with the result that there is an internal shoulder I l. The second cylindrical section I 6 has thereon a radial rib it around which a rubber ring I 9 is molded. The packing device is held in place on the wall it by a fitting 28 which is secured to the wall I 8 and clamps the rubber ring l9, which rubber ring it then yieldably supports the shell I t of the packing device It. 9 l

The shell it has at its front end an inwardly turned flange or shoulder 21! defining an opening 22 through which the rod l i extends. At the rear end of the shell I t, the second section It has internal threads 2'3 to receive the exter'nal threads 2d of a packing nut 25 which projects into the rear end of the packing cavity defined by the shell It. In the wall of the second section it there is a lubricant passage 26 which communicates through a port 2? with the interior of the second section adjacent the shoulder I1 and through a port 28 with an intermediate pointin the interior of the second sectionl 6.

The shell it contains therein packing .means 29 including a plurality of packing rings 30 which occupy the first section l5, s lubricator ring 3| disposed within the second section I5 adjacent the shoulder I l and a packing ring 35.! designated specifically as packing ring 39a which issecured annular cavity 32 in the lubricator ring,

in an 3I As shown in Fig. 4 each of the packingrings,

comprises an annular body 33 of relatively hard consistency and a lip 34 which extends conically from the rear portion 35 of the annular body toward the front end 36 thereof. The lip 34 is large at its base and tapers on to a knife edge 31 at the point of engagement of the lip 34 with the surface of the rod II. The packing ring 30 is molded from impregnated fabric, and as indicated by dotted lines 38 in Fig. 4 the fabric layers extend from the annular body 33 into the lip 34. Pressure of fluid against the face 33 of the lip 34 causes the lip to engage the surface of the rod H so as to seal against a passage of fluid along the surface of the rod 11.

The plurality of packing rings 3!! within the section l5 are, with the exception of the ring indicated at 38b, faced forwardly or against the pressure of fluid which is to be packed off. That is to say the lips 34 of'the packing rings indicated by the numerals 30c and 38d are faced toward the front end of the packing device. The packing ring 3'!) indicated by the numeral 3301 projects slightly beyond the shoulder I1 and. to prevent radial expansion of the outer portion of the packing ring 30d a cylindrical shield 49 is applied to a portion of the circumference of the packing ring.

The reversed ring 301) is spaced from the adjacent ring 300 by a rubber spacing ring 4| and. a similar rubber ring 42 is disposed between the ring 30b at the shoulder 2|. Between the lips of the ring 38!) and the adjacent ring 380 an annular cavity 43 is formed around the adjacent portion of the rod H, in which cavity 43 grease or oil is trapped, thereby maintaining a supply of lubricant at the front end of the packing.

The packing ring 33a is the same as the pack.- ing ring 30 described in detail in Fig. 4, and its lip 34 is faced forwardly so as to prevent escape rearwardly of lubricant which has been forced into the annular space 44 formed by the lubricator ring 3| around a portion of the rod H. An annular wall or washer 45 substantially closes the rear end of the cavity 32 which contains the packing ring 30a. When lubricant is forced through a grease fitting 46 into the grease passage 26, a portion of thegrease will flow through the port 21 and then through radial openings 41 in the lubricator ring into the annular space 44. Since the packing ring 30a prevents escape of grease rearwardly from the chamber 44, the grease will flow down the surface of the rod ll through the assembly of packing rings into the grease trapping space 43. To prevent escape of grease along the exterior face of the enlargement 48 of the lubricator, a sealing ring 43 is seated in a groove in the external face of the enlargement 48. As shown in Fig. 1 the annular body of the packing ring 3% has an external groove 50 with a sealing ring 5| therein. The rear face of each packing ring 30b is supported by'a metal supporting ring 52.

All of the packing rings 30, the lubricator ring 3| and the rings 4|, 42 and 52 are connected together so as to form the'assembly of rings into a unit which may be handled as such, thereby preventing the necessity of separately placing the various rings in the packing chamber of the shell l4. The enlargement 48 of the lubricator ring 3| prevents the packing unit from being placed in the shell (4 in reversed position. If an attempt were made to place the packing unit in the shell l4 in reversed position, the lubricator ring would go into the section l6 only as far as the shoulder l1, leaving a portion of the front end of the packing unit projecting from the shell I4 so that the nut 25 could not be installed.

This nut 25 is equipped with a bearing 53 which is a relatively close fit around the rod H and is 5 lubricated by grease from the port 28. The bearing 53 tends to hold the packing device ID in axial alignment with the rod II and such small movement as may be required to accomplish this alignment is permitted by the yielding of the resilient supporting means consisting of the rubber ring l9. These rings are secured together, in the rnebodiment of the invention disclosed, by layers of cement disposed between the rings.

I claim:

1. In a packing device of the character described for packing around a rod: a shell comprising a first cylindric wall section and a second cylindric wall section of larger internal diameter than said first cylindric wall section, there being a lubricant duct communicating with the interior of said second section adjacent said first section; a plurality of packing rings in said first section arranged for sealing engagement with said rod; a lubricator ring engaging the rearward ring of said plurality of packing rings in said first section, said lubricator ring having an enlargement in said second section, said enlargement having an annular cavity and a duct connecting said lubricant duct with the interior of said lubricator ring adjacent said cavity; a sealing rin in said annular cavity arranged to make sealing engagement with the surface of said rod and retain lubricant within said lubricator ring; and means for holding said rings in said shell.

2. In a packing device of the character described for packing around a rod: a shell comprising a first cylindric wall section and a second cylindric wall section of larger internal diameter than said first cylindric wall section, there being a lubricant duct communicating with the interior of said second section adjacent said first section; a plurality of packing rings in said first section arranged for sealing engagement with said rod, the packing ring at the front end of said plurality of packing rings having a sealing lip faced rearwardly so as to form a lubricant trap between itself and the adjacent packing ring; a lubricator ring engaging the rearward ring of said plurality of packing rings in said first section, said lubricator ring having an enlargement in said second section, said enlargement having an annular cavity and a duct connecting said lubricant duct with the interior of said lubricator ring adjacent said cavity; a sealing ring in said annular cavity arranged to make sealing engagement with the surface of said rod, said sealing ring comprising an annular body with a sealing lip extending conically from the rear portion thereof so as to hold lubricant within said lubricator ring; and means for holding said rings in said shell.

3. In a packing unit for packing around a rod which extends through a packing chamber having an enlarged portion at one end thereof; a plurality of packing rings arranged coaxially and consecutively; a lubricator ring at the rear end of said plurality of packing rings, said lubricator ring having a cylindrical enlargement, said enlargement having an annular cavity to receive a packing ring of the same diameter as said packing rings and having between said cavity and the opposite end thereof a lubricant passage; a packing ring in said annular cavity arranged to engage said rod; and means connecting said rings together so that they will then form the packing unit.

4. In a packing unit for packing around a rod which extends through a packing chamber having an enlarged portion at one end thereof: a plurality of packing rings arranged coaxially and consecutively, each of said packing rings comprising an annular body with a sealing lip extending conically from the rear portion of said annular body, the packing ring at the front end of said plurality of packing rings being placed with its lip faced rearwardly so as to form a lubricant trap and the remaining rings of said plurality of packing rings being placed with the lips thereof faced forwardly; a lubricator ring at the rear end of said plurality of packing rings, said lubricator ring having a cylindrical enlargement, said enlargement having an annular cavity to receive a packing ring of the same diameter as said packing rings and having between said cavity and the opposite end thereof a lubricant passage; a packing ring in said annular cavity arranged to engage said rod, said packing ring comprising an annular body with a sealing lip extending eonically from the rear portion thereof; and means connecting said rings together so that they will then form the packing unit.

5. In a packing unit for packing around a rod which extends through a, packing chamber having an enlarged portion at one end thereof: a plurality of packing rings arranged coaxially and consecutively; a lubricator ring at the rear end of said plurality of packing rings, said lubricator ring having a cylindrical enlargement, said enlargement having an annular cavity to receive a packing ring of the same diameter as said packing 5 rings and having between said cavity and the opposite end thereof a lubricant passage; a cylindric shell on the circumferential portion of the packing ring which is disposed adjacent said lubricator ring; a packing ring in said annular 1o cavity arranged to engage said rod; and means connecting said rings together so that they will then form the packing unit.

GUGLIELMO R. TREMOLADA.

15 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,342,734 Barthez June 8, 1920 20 1,425,268 Massa Aug. 8, 1922 1,712,003 Hubbard May 7, 1929 1,787,317 Labus Dec. 30, 1930 2,033,796 Weinschenker Mar. 10, 1936 2,037,046 Robertson Apr. 14, 1936 5 2,052,603 Christensen Sept. 1, 1936 2,256,343 Hubbard Sept. 16, 1941 2,451,269 Allen Oct. 12, 1948 2,470,960 Tremolada May 24, 1949 o FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 265,613 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1950 

